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"The Lion and the Jewel": Study Questions

The following questions can help guide your reading and discussion of Soyinka's text. The resources on the Resources page may help you answer these questions.

Background and Context
  1. When the play was first produced (1959), was Nigeria an independent country yet? What significance might the colonial status of Nigeria make to an African playwright?
  2. What European country had colonized Nigeria? What was Soyinka's experience of this colonizing country?
  3. What is Soyinka's ethnic background? (It is also the ethnic background of the characters in this play.) What distinctive features of this ethnic group would be important to understanding this play?
The Play

Professor Paul Brians of Washington State University has created an excellent set of study questions about the play.  Access them at

Essay Topics

The following topics may be used by Freshman Seminar instructors for the Reading Club Essay. Your instructor may provide others.

  1. Discuss the treatment of women in "The Lion and the Jewel." What is woman's place in traditional society, and how does the reformer Lakunle propose to change it? What does Sidi's choice say about the chances for successful reform of traditional Yoruba society?
  2. Discuss the effects of modernization on traditional Yoruba society, as presented in "The Lion and the Jewel." What are some of the examples of modern European culture in the play?  How are they appropriated by different characters such as Lakunle and Baroka?
  3. Discuss the power relationships in "The Lion and the Jewel." What kind of ruler is Baroka? Do you think he is a good ruler? Why or why not?
  4. Discuss the contrast between Christianity and Yoruba religion and morals as presented in "The Lion and the Jewel." What are some of the references to Christian beliefs and practices, and how are they compared with traditional African culture?
  5. Each act of "The Lion and the Jewel" includes a dance or pantomime depicting some part of the play's action? What is depicted in these pantomimes, and why do you think Soyinka chooses this device?
  6. "The Lion and the Jewel" was written over forty years ago, and its setting is an African village. What if any relevance does the play have for an American audience in the twenty-first century?